Kate’s Score: 3.5 sleigh bells
“Millennihilism” is the word coined to identify the pervading sense of nihilism and apathy expressed by millennials. Unlike their parents and grandparents who were shocked and moved by the media coverage of the Vietnam war, Millennials have been bombarded with media coverage of every terrible thing that has ever happened since the day they were born. They know the world is ending. They know there is nothing they can really do about it. They have watched planes fly into buildings on live TV when they were only children. Yes, they had the safety of a TV screen between them and the atrocities of the world… but they were also made aware of it in a way that was impossible before the information age.
Good People by Kay Warner, the first of the two one-act plays under the banner of Blue Christmas, wonders just how millennials (or indeed, any of us) would handle a disaster 
when the intermediary of the screen is taken away. Jess has taken four of her old school friends and her current (lover? BFF?) to a tropical paradise for a reunion holiday. A disaster – terrorism or coup – strikes and they are herded into the airport, awaiting their flight out. Some begin to think they should stay, others that they should go; positons that shift with time. It is a strong ensemble who bring us well-differentiated characters, playing with equal passion and attention to characterisation. Self-interest vies selfishness – and it becomes apparent that this is not just a millennial problem for after all, are we not all good people? We are left with the opportunity to wonder what we would do, ourselves, in such a situation.
After interval, the stage is set for Gretel Vella’s Shandy’s Corner. At Shandy’s, a group of disparate women seek refuge from the atrocity of domestic violence. Through the most 
unlikely support network, a newcomer finds the care and love she craved. It is a poignant reminder that Christmas is that time of year when domestic violence peaks (along with footy finals) and that for many women and children, there is no peace and joy. Like Good People which preceded it, the ensemble of Shandy’s Corner give committed, cohesive performances and if the last two monologues don’t reduce you to tears, you are made of sterner stuff than I.
Blue Christmas is an initiative of the Ignite Collective and New Ghosts Company, developing and supporting works by women, about women and crewed by women. They are productions which triumphantly score full marks on the Bechdel test. Herstory after all, is as valid as history. And Christmas is one of those times which finds most of us at our most vulnerable.
Christmas really is that time of year. The reality can never fulfil expectation and for many, it is not a festive time at all but a time of despair and fear. This is the fodder for Blue Christmas and the plays give a sensitive, thoughtful accounting; but amidst the loss and pain, people do tend to be a little kinder, a little more generous for a few weeks and that is something, isn’t it?
Kate Stratford, Theatre Now
Photo Credit: Clare Hawley
11 – 22 Dec 2019
Venue: Kings Cross Theatre [KXT]
Theatre Company: Emme Hoy ★ Natesha Somasundaram ★ Gretel Vella ★ Katy Warner ★ Ciella Williams
Duration: Various
TBA
TBA
Good People by Katy Warner
Shandy’s Corner by Gretel Vella
Good People
It’s Christmas. Jess has treated her long-time, high-school friends with a holiday to a tropical paradise. Jess can do that sort of thing now. What was supposed to be a chance for them to reconnect is interrupted. Suddenly. Unexpectedly. Violently. Whisked away to the airport to wait for the next flight, there are no flights in or out.
Six women wait as tension grows with the reality of what they’ve seen and what they’ve escaped sinks in. What is the right thing, the good thing, to do: stay or leave? They are good people, after all.
Written by Katy Warner (Shortlisted for Theate503 Playwriting Award & the Green Room Award, winner of Melbourne Fringe Peoples Choice Award & WA Touring Award), Good People exposes the privilege of a millennial generation with humour, candor and a brutal lens.
Shandy’s Corner
Arrogant twenty-something Edith seeks refuge in an inner-city women’s shelter on Christmas Day. Over dinner, turkeys are served, stories are shared and truths are revealed.
Written by Gretel Vella (screenwriter for Doctor Doctor, winner of the 2018 ATYP Foundation Commission), Shandy’s Corner depicts the remarkable and often unnoticed work of women’s shelters and the power of solidarity and friendship in ending violence.
The two works billed as BLUE CHRISTMAS shed light on the experiences and perspectives of the not so festive season. “There are so many wonderful and funny moments in these two plays, and then there are those that are absolutely heart-rending. The works are honest. They reflect the many emotions and the many experiences of what Christmas can be and mean for people and young women in particular,” says Artistic Director Lucy Clements.
BLUE CHRISTMAS
Good People
Written by Katy Warner
Featuring Clementine Anderson, Sasha Dyer, Laura Djanegara, Chika Ikogwe, Jane Watt and Emma Wright.
Shandy’s Corner
Written by Gretel Vella
Featuring Clementine Anderson, Meg Clarke, Laura Djanegara, Harriet Gordon-Anderson, Zoe Jensen and Vaishnavi Suryaprakash.
Directed by Lucy Clements
Produced by Loredana Cross
Production Managed by Louise Mason
Stage Managed by Jennifer Jackson
Sound Design by Clare Hennessy
Lighting Design by Kelsey Lee
Set Design by Ester Karuso-Thurn
Costume Design by Angela Doherty
